


promise me (that you promise to live)

by Celen



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Drabble, M/M, POV Second Person, Romance, TYL Arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-13
Updated: 2013-01-13
Packaged: 2017-11-25 09:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/637427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celen/pseuds/Celen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You have a promise to keep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	promise me (that you promise to live)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ September 9, 2011.

_”Hey, Squalo. What is the future me like?”_  
   
 _“What kind of a fucking stupid question is that? Come on, brat, we have no time to waste if you want to be in any condition for the battle.”_  
   
 _“But… it’s important.”_  
   
 _No answer._  
   
 _“Squalo.”_  
   
 _“…different. And the same.”_  
   
 _The words hang in the air between you for a short while, before Squalo turns away, staring intently into the fire crackling happily a few meters away. You exhale slowly, eyes still focused on his back, and think_ I know, I know, and you know I know, don’t you _, but you stay quiet anyway. After all, there’s no need to say something both of you already know._  
 

 

* * *

  
   
 It’s only when the kid smacks you right across the face that you come to your senses. It won’t do to run back, you can’t turn back now, can you, because you have to stay with Tsuna and the rest, you have to protect Uni. You don’t really listen when the others debate what to do, you can’t, not with terror making your eyesight waver and every pore of your body screaming for you to go back, the sooner the better.  
   
And then everything collapses around you and you’re running, you don’t really know where, they said something about a realtor but you’re not sure. The only thing you know is that really, you have it easy: if you get back to the past (when, _when_ , not if), you know that you can go home to a comforting smell of sushi and the sounds of your father enthusiastically welcoming you back, and that you can simply press those numbers no one knows you have to your phone and spend the next few minutes listening to curses and shouting about the expenses of overseas calls and _have you ever heard of time zones, you fucking piece of trash_ and your ears will ring for hours but the smile in your face will last for much longer.  
   
As Haru is pounding the door to the realtor's and you see all the abandoned buildings around you (and they remind you of a ghost town in a horror story you once read), you can’t help but think of the empty house you visited, and the picture on your bedside table (you never knew someone so obnoxiously loud and violent could look so beautiful, so at peace when sleeping) and you know you have to do _something_ : you know that your future self would never forgive you, or himself (and what’s the difference, really, you think) if you let it go like this, let _him_ go like this, without giving your all to saving him.  
   
It is only fair, after all, that your future self have someone to come home to, too.  
   
And so you say your goodbyes, apologize to Tsuna and really, you wouldn’t do this, wouldn’t abandon him, unless you absolutely had to – and you do, because it’s _Squalo_ , and you have a promise to keep.  
 

 

* * *

  
   
 _“I know I’m not him, so this probably won’t matter much to you, but…”_  
   
 _“Voi, what are you on about, brat?”_  
   
 _“I’ll bring him back to you, I promise! And then, I’ll go back to_ my _Squalo.”_  
  
 _“…you piece of trash.”_  
   
 _With that, Squalo stalks away, but not without giving you a look that you can’t quite read, but one that makes you feel a bit similar to hitting a home run in the ninth inning, when the score is tied, you have two outs and the bases are loaded._  
   
 _Then you smile widely and cheerily shout “You’re welcome!” to his retreating back, because really, you had no difficulties in hearing what he didn't say._  
  
 _You like to think it's because he knew you'd understand him anyway._


End file.
